Disclaimer: Pokémon is still owned by The Pokémon Company, which in turn is owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and probably others I forgot. The following fanfiction is me playing around in their sandbox, using characters they envisioned and created, except for the odd character that wasn't. I own nothing of this.

Chapter 31: A Fateful Decision

Littleroot Town looked quaint in the early morning sunlight, and the fresh air with a slight hint of fish always did do Gary good, causing him to smile as he got off the overnight boat from Pallet. He was pretty sure that sentiment wasn't shared by all others taking the same trip, but a quick look around assured him that everything was roughly as it should be: Trainers were awake and alert, older people travelling for business or something weren't.

With an exception or two, but they confirmed the rule.

He released the borrowed tropius from confinement – he'd asked Ash for a loan. Since his former rival was planning to hop around Kanto from Pewter to Cerulean and then to two of his new colleagues, it had been granted without issue.

He could walk to the Littleroot Laboratory, but that would take an hour or so. He could have used his alakazam's Teleport, but that just wasn't his style. Flying gave him time to think and to bask in the excellent weather of mid-August in Hoenn.

Birch knew he was coming, of course, and met him in front of the building. "Good morning," the man said as Gary swung off tropius, who proceeded to walk off to some nearby trees for food. "Walk with me."

Wondering what the Professor wanted to say that could not be said inside, Gary adjusted his light pack and started walking.

Silence for about a minute, until the lab was thoroughly hidden and the sounds around became those of Pokémon doing morning business. "You said you were searching for a somewhat rare Pokémon. Which one is it? And, if I may ask, why?"

"Comparison, mainly," Gary said, starting with the actual scientific reasoning behind why he wanted to go after this Pokémon. "The literature and common knowledge establishes that the force exerted psionically by a gallade and kirlia remains roughly the same, with the extra power that comes from having an extra evolutionary stage being distributed everywhere else for the gallade. But when reading Copper's article, I noticed that he, and other scientists like him, experimented with groups of kirlia, and groups of gallade."

"And you wish to look at an individual, to both confirm the analysis and to provide a more in-depth look at the phenomenon," Birch finished for him, accurately. "In true Oak fashion, I might add."

Gramps had said much the same. With the caveat that it wouldn't be a headline-grabbing bit of research, but Gary was fine with that. "Exactly. And while there's ralts and kirlia in Kanto, they're rare. Much easier to go here."

"Or to Sinnoh. Which doesn't have the same climate we do," the Professor observed shrewdly. As intended. "What makes you think I know where they are when we deliberately don't ask? And most of the Trainers capturing one don't do it here."

"Are you saying most kids actually stick to those stupid restrictions?" Gary asked, though he knew the answer already. Mareep, the lot of them. "Not even a hint?"

"As said, none of us would know," came the reply as they halted to let a few aipom and ambipom swing from tree to tree. "However, a few weeks back, someone caught a ralts. One that arrived unharmed and was retrieved that same night."

The implication was obvious. Given ralts nearly always lived in family units, with the larger congregations, as he'd learned their groups were called, common as well, the location could be revealing. The unharmed arrival suggested it was a friendly capture as well. "Would the Trainer be willing to help me?"

"She probably would if you explain why. I… I can check the system, see where she last retrieved some Pokémon." The admission seemed to weigh heavily on the Professor's mind, suggesting that it was something he was loath to do, but it did solve the largest problem Gary had identified in the half-minute since hearing of this.

"Much appreciated. You've probably saved me a week of searching."

They resumed walking, going vaguely in the direction of the laboratory, but not the same path they'd taken before. Birch took a furtive glance around. "And any other reason you're here?"

In response, Gary sent alakazam out, waiting for a spoon movement to signal that it was okay. That came. "Some of us realised something about the attacks that have been plaguing Hoenn." He let a pause fall, waiting for an interruption that did not come. "Have you heard of what happened on Mandarin Island?"

The "Yes," surprised him. "I read up on it after the Slateport Festival," Birch explained. "Drowzee, luckily, aren't native to Hoenn, and the ones responsible seem to lack the means to search for or steal one."

Or hadn't thought of it, but that implication was something Gary wasn't going to make within a hundred miles of the landmass he was on. "We think the capability to use Hypnosis, rather than the specific Pokémon, made Mandarin into what it was," he said instead.

"And by we..."

"Lance, Gramps. Myself, too." There were times when humility was warranted. This was one of the rare examples. "We don't know if it's because they haven't realised it, or because the ones that can learn it and are native to Hoenn are limited to just three families, two of which aren't even of the relevant Types, but..."

Birch checked something with himself before giving Gary a strange look. "Three? I count four. Two Psychic-types, two non-Psychic-types." He shook his head. "Granted, neither the ralts line nor lunatone are common or easy to find, and not all of them cultivate the skill."

So much for Gramps's memory, but it was a sour victory. "That only makes the problem worse."

"I agree, but there is little I can do about this apart from protecting the laboratory." Hands were spread, affecting helplessness that was unbecoming of a Professor. "Nevertheless, those I can tell, I will, with all the caution I can muster."

Lance and Gramps would have to make do with that admission. Birch knew the lay of the land better; he'd know who would use the information and who would snitch it. Loose lips sank ships, as he'd once heard a Unovan express. "I'll relay that, then," he said, returning alakazam as a sign that the time for sensitive chat was past. "How's your research into trapinch going?"

"Rather well, but it's a jumbled mess so far. Planning to write it up this week," Birch admitted, scratching his hair sheepishly. "I can give you an overview when you return to Kanto."

~~§~~§~~

May folded the paper she'd been using to figure out where to go for probably the final time. She shoved it into a side-pocket of her pack, hoisted the pack on her back, did one last check to see if she hadn't forgotten anything, and closed the Pokémon Center room behind her. Shima had been a fun little holiday while the Silver Conference was going on, but she had another Ribbon to get in the two remaining months before the Hoenn Grand Festival.

She wasn't really worried about that. She was one of the best Coordinators in the region without a doubt, and this area of Hoenn had the easiest travel because of all the ferries. There were seven Contests that could get her the last Ribbon before October even started, all in the east, all on some of the many islands around.

A Water Contest in the Sootopolis Gym next Sunday, then one in Purika Town on Izabe the Sunday after. Mossdeep the Saturday after that, and then four on smaller islands… Yeah, she felt good about the odds. Especially because she knew some of her rivals weren't in this area at all: Milly was off near Mauville, Alexandra had gotten her fourth Ribbon in Fallarbor yesterday, and Harley was there too.

With a wave to the on-duty Nurse Joy, May left the Pokémon Center behind, walking into surprisingly cool weather. A look up revealed why: off-white clouds and the hour made it cooler. It wouldn't last, but it was welcome while she walked to the harbour and waited to board the boat to Sootopolis.

Ivysaur came out of her ball, looking for some sunlight, and grumbling when there wasn't any. "You could try Sunny Day," May suggested teasingly.

The Grass-type gave her a look of 'you are kidding me', but didn't return herself either, and both of them walked in silence across silent streets.

Halfway to the harbour, a television in the window of an electronics shop caught her attention, and she gave it a quick look before stopping fully.

There'd been another attack. That was normal: they were basically coming daily now, but between most people doing the smart thing and not sending those Pokémon out more than strictly necessary and the restrictions, they weren't doing too much damage. That wasn't what had caught her attention.

What had was the declaration that there was an agreement on more restrictions.

The wait was thankfully short before they appeared on screen in the talk show or whatever it was that was being shown, and May read them quickly, thankful to the producers for putting the old ones in for comparison's sake.

Trainer experience went up to a year and a half, the badge count had gone up to eight instead of six, and the Grand Festival requirements had moved a round up as well. But there was a fourth condition as well, in conjunction with the former, that everyone who hadn't been a Trainer for two and a half years by the first of October would have to follow a mandatory training.

That was going to hit Alexandra by a month, but she was the only one that May knew and could think of.

They looked okay enough, she supposed, but… Something didn't really feel right. The previous restrictions had been in place for eight and a half months now, and if anything, the amount of attacks had increased. The attacks were supposed to have stopped already, or at least diminished, and these weren't going to solve the problem of wild Pokémon.

Drew had pointed that out a few days ago, while they were having one of their calls. It felt good to keep up with him and what he was doing in university. It all went over May's head, but he was having fun, and he was learning a lot. The eighteen year old had successfully passed his first year, and if he missed the Coordinator life, he wasn't showing it. Instead, he seemed to know a lot more now, which made sense because he had spare time from not having to figure out new routines all the time.

And that's how he had softly countered her argument that the restrictions were a good thing. And maybe he was biased, he'd admitted with a look off to the side – absol, May was sure – but he could read as well as anyone, and May had done the same after the call. He'd been right.

But Pokémon outnumbered humans. A lot. Capture and release, like you did with strays, just wasn't going to work. There were too many Pokémon, and too wily to boot.

Maybe… Maybe new restrictions weren't the way to go, May thought as she resumed her walk. But she'd have to think about it. Maybe talk to Drew as well. He did know his stuff, and she liked that he was willing to share the information with her when she asked.

Ivysaur tapped her side gently with one vine, directly above where the Grass-type knew she had her newest Pokémon. Not that it was hard to figure out with the pink ball that clashed badly with some of her clothes. Not the ones she was wearing now – which was a nice dark blue – but red and pink? Blegh.

But it was appropriate for a smoochum.

~~§~~§~~

Alice suppressed a yawn and the urge to flop onto the bed that she'd just dropped her stuff on. Overnight boats were one way to not have to walk down Routes 217 and 216 and up Mt. Coronet to get anywhere, but sleeping on one was never good, and her normal way of fixing that problem hadn't been possible.

Whoever thought you needed beds that narrow should be made to sleep on one. Linda hadn't fared much better, but she took the upper bed, meaning she wasn't as tempted as Alice. "C'mon. Time to see Canalave."

The Coordinator followed, wishing she was better at the whole boat travel thing after doing it three times in under three weeks: to and from Johto to visit her brother, and then Snowpoint to Canalave. They were here for Linda's fifth badge, and there was a Contest in a week and a half not too far away for Alice's fourth Ribbon.

They exited the Pokémon Center into a perfectly fine Sinnoh summer day, but as soon as they did, Linda stopped, looking at the plaza in front of them. "Wait a sec… Aren't tha'..."

Alice followed her friend's lead, seeing a boy and a girl – their age, probably – sitting on a bench in the sun, playing with a leafeon and a houndour. The girl had hair black as ink, and the boy had a yellow stripe in his do.

The last time they had talked to Danny in Johto, he'd told them about convincing Max to try dyeing his hair, also mentioning that one of his other friends had a stripe of pikachu yellow hair. And it wasn't that bright, but that was ages ago. "Y'think..."

"Dunno. Let's see."

Alice followed Linda, who didn't go for the directest approach of plain asking. It was pretty close to it, taking a moment to look at them from the front, and then walking up to ask.

But one of 'em was faster. "Aren't you… Linda and Alice, right?" the boy – Keith – said in a slightly scratchy teenage boy voice. He was wearing an easy white shirt with some black on it. Black that moved when he did, falling to the ground. Fur? "You were at Ever Grande, like a year and a half ago?"

It was them. She wanted to say something, but a wet snout pressing into her hand stopped her. Least she didn't startle, and she looked down at the uneven fur of the houndour while also giving it a chin scratch. The canine leaned into it, eyes closed in bliss. "Yea, that's us," Linda said, probably seeing her occupied. "Knew you were in Sinnoh 'n all, but..."

"It's a surprise," the girl finished. Hadn't she been really shy in Hoenn? Alice glanced up, away from houndour. Jane's eyes moved away from her for a second, but then she smiled. She, like Keith, looked healthy and fit. Normal teenagers out on a journey, with plenty of sun and walking. "Fought a Trainer yesterday, houndour got hit with some Acid. The shedding is normal."

The canine barked once, before padding over to Linda instead. "Was wonderin' 'bout that," Alice said honestly. "Not in the Gym, right?"

"Gym's Steel-types," Linda corrected eagerly. "Acid's a Poison move."

"We're going there after lunch," Keith said as the gorgeous leafeon jumped onto the bench beside him, leaning its head into his side. "Gym Leader doesn't do scheduling, and we took a day off after houndour yesterday."

"And there was other stuff to do on Sunday," Jane added, grinning.

"Oh, hell yeah," Linda said, sitting down next to the black-haired girl. She was taller, but not by much, and a bit more tanned. It was hard to see that, but hands fairly close together helped. "Did you see..."

Alice tuned them out. Battles were fun, but she was about Contests. And to her surprise, Keith smiled at the two of them, like he'd seen them do it a dozen times. Then he stood up, to leafeon's disapproval. "They'll talk for a bit," he said, starting to walk in the opposite direction of where the harbour was. "Let's get them some breakfast."

That sounded like a good idea, and she fell in with the tallest of them all. Leafeon also did so, and after a short think, her ninjask joined in. He zoomed around them a bit, happy to be out. "Haven't been givin' ya enough time to fly, huh."

The bug buzzed something before zooming over to a patch of nearby flowers in bloom. "There's a flower shop up ahead. Might want to keep an eye out," Keith informed her, and she could hear him grinning. "Which is also why leafeon is here."

"Feon," the evolved eevee said proudly, strutting.

"Been here for a bit, then?" the Coordinator asked as a far-away clock rang its bells for nine in the morning. "That ya know somethin' up ahead."

"Got in on Friday, but all the shops are up here. And a market, too." They dodged around two girls running across the streets. "The breakfast in the Center is… Not great either."

"Huh?"

"Fish. Fish everywhere," Keith said, sounding very unhappy with that. "Jane doesn't like fish, and never has, so..."

"She roped ya into gettin' some other food, right?" Alice guessed, and the boy nodded. "Why're you gettin' it?"

A loud crash stopped the answer, and both of them looked at the source, which turned out to be a pane of glass that had fallen onto the ground while being carried. A nearby shop lacked a front window, too, making it easy to identify where it was supposed to have gone. "Two reasons," Keith said as they resumed walking, making sure to not get anywhere near the shards. "One, I… Oh, that's nasty..."

She could what stopped him. In front of them, as far left as they could go in the street, was a set of pinpricks of shattered glass, seen only because the morning sunlight hit them just right. They could probably walk through, but that'd just make things worse to clean up, and leafeon didn't have shoes.

But Alice had an idea. She released slowbro, and the Water-type greeted her lazily. "Can ya sweep the glass to one spot?"

He definitely could, and with a bit of concentrating and a very thorough sweep, he collected all of the nearby glass, dropping it off near the watching workmen. "Thanks a bunch!" the younger of the two said. "That'll save us some time."

"Yer welcome," Alice replied, smiling at them and rubbing slowbro's head gently. "Can't fix it for ya, though."

"If ya could, I'd be catchin' a Pokémon like that soon as," the other workman told her. "Might still. Been out of the game for years, though."

"Might ask my brother. He could know something."

The two workmen continued their discussion as Alice returned her Pokémon. "Useful trick."

She shrugged. "Did a Contest with snover and slowbro. Ice Shard doin's."

"Right, you're a Coordinator," Keith replied, and she guessed he'd forgotten that. "Second or third time?"

"Third. Hoenn, Kanto, Sinnoh," Alice said in turn, before taking a long sniff. "Speakin' o' fish."

There was a fish market going on; the smell bearable from a distance, but Keith led her someplace else, staying silent as he did that. Leafeon, on the other hand, was vocal in its disagreement, which only stopped when they entered a small mall of some kind that banned most Pokémon from going in. "Ugh. That nearly made me throw up."

"Thought Jane was the one not likin' fish?"

"And I don't like raw fish smell before breakfast," he countered, which caused her to giggle. "Though I've been eating less of it too."

"Why's that?" Alice asked as Keith led them to a shop that clearly sold breakfast.

"She's my girlfriend, and she doesn't like it when my breath smells of fish."

Girlfriend? Alice hadn't expected that. It sounded cute and like a fairytale, to travel and be in love with each other. "How long ya been like that?"

"Nearly a year and four months." Keith grabbed two rolled omelettes, before turning to her. "What do you and Linda want?"

She'd forgotten all about that, but a quick look around revealed a set of sandwiches for Linda. She grabbed an omelette for herself, but she saw Keith wonder about Linda's food. "Unovan. All the bread 'n stuff. Was interestin' bein' there for some time."

"Interesting how?"

The Coordinator laughed as they lined up for payment, but there was a queue. "Nothin' like Kalos, if that's what yer thinkin'. Jus' very different culture and stuff. And a lot of rebuildin' goin' on 'coz of Team Plasma."

"Must be a lot of that going on. Forgot how long Team Plasma was doing stuff, but it's more than Kalos had."

"But yveltal did a lot," Alice countered, and she saw Keith wince. "Oh, right, sorry."

"It's okay," he replied. "It's just been on our minds a bit. You couldn't know. We're normally okay with it."

Alice wasn't so sure about that. She might not understand her brother, but she did know that teenage boys liked to boast at every turn. Including about being fine or not. "Still. Bet yer glad Sinnoh is quieter."

"You're not wrong." They moved forward in the queue, and Alice got her wallet out of her pocket. "Worst that happened here? Couple of lost kids near Jublife. Standard school trip and some boys hiding or running or whatever." Keith sounded like he didn't really care for the why. "Houndour, mightyena, and crobat were able to find them pretty quick-like. The teacher was pissed like you wouldn't believe it."

"Oh, I can," Alice said, remembering a time when one of her classmates had done the same. Their teacher had nearly brought the boy to tears when he'd appeared out of nowhere, half an hour after they'd been supposed to leave. "Mightyena and crobat yours?"

"Yeah. Not great against Steel-types, but I can bring them over if you want to meet them."

The reply she wanted to make was chased out of her mind by the checkout opening up.

~~§~~§~~

Linda had gone for a nap after the four of them had returned from the Canalave Gym, but Alice was wide awake. She never liked naps because she could never keep them short, but her companion could. And normally, she'd take the time to draw some and maybe look at the cute scene a bit, but now… She had other things to do.

She hated that she was going to dump dung all over the mood that Keith and Jane had been in after getting their Badges. But she had the idea, halfway through the battles. Best to act on it before she chickened out.

She needed someone to help her to convince Max and Danny. Linda hadn't really agreed with that, saying she could do it on her own. And maybe that was right, but Alice still wanted the help anyway. Just in case, and all.

The door was open, and Jane was at the desk, bent over something, while Keith was folding some socks from the laundry he'd put in earlier. He looked up when she came in. "Hey Alice. Not going for a nap?"

"No," she said, closing the door behind her with a click that was louder than she meant. "I… I need some help." She took a deep breath. "Remember my brother?"

"Vaguely," Jane said, chair scraping the floor a bit. "Didn't he try to pull a fast one on you? Last year in… Saffron?"

Alice nodded slowly, looking for a place to sit. She found the second chair, and gratefully sat down. "Tha' was one of the last letters I sent ya, right?" she asked, not waiting for an answer. "He went home, but then he left again. Dunno know where or how, Mom and Da neither. And then..."

"He's not here in Sinnoh, right? Trying to get you home again?" Alice didn't answer, and Keith became visibly unsettled. "He didn't threaten you?"

She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. As if Linda would let him, and she could probably help too. "Nah. Be easier too." The fifteen year old took a deep breath. "He's awaitin' trial right now."

A rolled-up pair of socks fell to the floor, bouncing and rolling a bit. Both other teenagers were stunned. Keith's mouth was wide open, and Jane half-covered her mouth with her hand. She recovered first. "Trial? What'd he do?"

Nothing for it. "Attacked 'n tried to kidnap Max 'n Danny."

Alice waited for the other two to recover. Keith was moving his mouth, but not saying anything, and Jane was looking upwards. Asking a deity for understanding, maybe.

The silence stretched for what felt like ages, and then both of them moved at the same time. They exchanged a long look. One that was clear enough: wordless communication about something.

Keith got the nod. "Just to be clear… He was in that attack in June?" he asked, and Alice confirmed it silently. "That's… You must've felt horrible when they told you."

"Yeah… And telling Mom and Da was worse. Better 'n lettin' 'em find out coz of p'lice, but..." She stopped, feeling her throat close up and hearing her accent slipping. "Sorry."

"Hard to talk about?" Jane asked, coming over and placing a tissue in Alice's lap. "Still your brother, isn't he?"

She didn't want to speak, but a nod was clear enough. Then Keith returned, and he placed a glass of water in her hands. "Drink."

The water was pure bliss as it went down her throat, and with it went the stuffy feeling there. She blinked a bit to get rid of the slight burning feeling behind her eyes, but she hadn't shed a tear. "Why'd ya get it so fast?"

"Got one of my own, and we're close too." Jane gave her a look. "None of your other friends have brothers, I'm guessing."

"Linda's got a younger sis..." Alice started, and the memory of Elise's happiness at seeing Linda again, when they'd been in Unova a year ago, was enough to make her smile. The beginning Trainer had come back from Alola for that. "And Max has a sis too."

"Sisters are different," Jane said, crossing her arms. "And Max isn't the right example. He's not wired that way."

She guessed not. Was it wrong of her to want to be wired like him, so she didn't have this?

"So, what's gonna happen to Paul now?" Keith asked after a few moments of silence. "Dunno the laws or anything, but attacking and trying to kidnap? That's not something simple."

"They're thinkin' 'bout tryin' him as an adult. Least, 'fore I convinced him."

"Of what?"

"Talkin'," she answered the question, looking the only boy in the room straight in the eyes. "Spillin' the beans, as the sayin 'goes." She sighed. "Dunno if it's enough."

"Why?" Jane asked. "He's cooperating, right? That's always a good thing for lower punishment."

"I know, Jane, I know. Doesn't feel like it is. Think I need ta convince Danny 'n Max too."

A hiss escaped from Keith's lips. "That's… Not easy."

She made to retort that she knew that, but Jane cleared her throat. "It's possible," she declared with certainty.

"Max isn't forgiving."

"Course he isn't. Be surprising as hell if he was, after all he's seen and done," Jane told her boyfriend. "But if anyone can convince him, it's Danny." She turned to Alice. "It's no sure thing, but convincing Danny is probably the way you get Max on board."

"'N how do ya suggest I do tha'? Without chokin' up like earlier."

"Write," Keith told her, shrugging when she looked. 'Simple, effective. Can think about what you want to say. Just send the letter to the Pallet Town Laboratory. It'll get there."

~~§~~§~~

Not that Ash had anything against Pewter City, but Cerulean City did always feel better to him. Maybe it was just the air quality and all: Pewter was an old mining town with some mines still running just to the north.

Charizard landed on the square in front of the Gym, which caused more than a few people to gasp and mutter. The Frontier Brain tuned it out with practice, instead thanking the Fire-type for his help, promising a long rest in the Center later. He ignored a few girls calling for his attention, but the young boy that was doing his best magikarp impression got a grin. It had the desired effect, and Ash entered the Gym, pikachu following closely behind.

They found Misty mid-battle. He took immediate stock of what was going on from the passage. A staryu – Misty's own, he thought – was facing off against a jumpluff, and a quick look up revealed that the opponent had that and an already-used butterfree left, with a fearow having been knocked out, as had a wooper and a panpour.

The girl facing her looked like she was twelve or thirteen, and the Pokémon Misty was using made Ash think it was the younger. This smelled like a seventh or eighth Badge, with Misty throwing her opponent a curve ball by switching in an atypical Pokémon like her staryu, which was surprisingly strong, but lacked longevity if she didn't order it to use Recover.

The Grass-type didn't waste time trying to use powders, which would be useless, but instead went for a barrage of Bullet Seeds, weak Energy Balls, and Fairy Winds. Some clever tracking and good prediction made a few hits land, but a surprise Ice Beam caught jumpluff by surprise, knocking it into the water and out of the match five seconds and a Double Edge later.

The match eventually ended in a draw after two Double Edges met – and from that, Ash knew Misty had deliberately tied it up so that she could give her Badge out and stay within the guidelines. Staryu had been capable of avoiding the attack and countering with a Water Gun, he thought.

But if the girl was good enough for one of his best friends, then that was okay in Ash's book.

Didn't mean he wasn't going to call her out on it, and he asked her the moment the three of them were in one of the rooms adjacent to the main Gym.

"She was working well with what she had, and apart from that Ice Beam, she had a good idea of what my Pokémon could do and how to work with or around them," Misty answered as she pulled out a towel and two trays from a few places. Twenty-one pokéballs – seven battles – went on the trays, which she covered and put inside a large backpack. "Pretty good for a sixth badge. Think those were her three most powerful Pokémon, though."

"Seemed to be a bit of a Flying-type specialist," Ash said, and he saw pikachu perk up a bit at that. "Wonder why she didn't start in Johto and go to Falkner."

"Beats me," Misty replied, running a hand through her hair. "Hey, could you drop this off at the Center? I'll get a shower, and then we'll go have dinner in town. Someone opened a new Kalosian restaurant a month ago, and it's supposed to be good."

It was better than his idea of grabbing some fast food wherever, so Ash did as asked, delivering the backpack to the Nurse Joy on duty, handing over the twenty-two pokéballs and then returning to the Gym, only to meet Misty outside. "How'd the other battles go?"

"Five more badges and one arrogant berk. Seriously, why is it always the Unovans?" the Gym Leader half-asked. "Strolling into the Gym like he's victini's gift to mankind. Boy, you're fourteen, your voice hasn't finished cracking yet, and your Pokémon aren't up to snuff for a twelfth badge, let alone a fifteenth." She shook her head. "Not sure I'll see him again. His ego might not take it."

"Sounds like you had fun beating him."

"What gave it away?" Misty shot back instantly, smiling innocently and not fooling anyone for a second. "Downside of being a Gym Leader, instead of an invite only club. And I read that those two made it in, by the way. Gotta say, I wasn't expecting the showings they gave."

"Even after Kalos?"

"They had the element of surprise there, and probably a bit of reputation too," Misty countered as they struck a left. "Saving a region does that. But they didn't have that here, and they really showed how to work with what they had. And sure, having a Mega like that helps in preparation because your opponent has to keep it in the back of their head, but the tactics in the battles I saw were solid as anything." She gave him a grin. "How much did you help them?"

"Less than you think. Helped Danny's froslass master Thunderbolt, and had a start on teaching Fire Blast to Max's shelgon, but most of it was just sparring. At high level." He returned the grin. "Between you and me, I wouldn't be surprised if they threw in a Gym Challenge while they were passing through anyway. I'd bring the A-team if they drop by. And if you could record it..."

"Oh, I'm planning on it. I know some other Gym Leaders are also pretty curious about them." A small bell chimed, and they moved aside automatically, letting a father and two children cycle on through. The youngest swerved a bit, but training wheels helped. "And not just Sabrina because of Max's Psychic-types."

That surprised Ash. He'd expected Sabrina the instant Misty had mentioned other Gym Leaders, and Brock didn't count by definition, but he struggled to think which of the other ones would be impressed. "Matthew? In Viridian?" he guessed.

"Bingo. Swampert caught his eye, of course, and that baltoy of Max's is something too." She sounded a bit impressed as well, Ash thought. "Any idea how they're going to do this? Clockwise? Counter-clockwise? All over the place like you did?"

"I resemble that..." the Frontier Brain replied, only half kidding. "I asked them to come to me last, because, y'know… They're going to Anabel's first, and I'd guess they'll go to Noland after that."

"So probably Viridian, Pewter, Factory, here. If they're doing the Gym Challenge." Misty shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

~~§~~§~~§~~§~~

New Capture Protocol

The Pallet Town Laboratory serves as the base for most Kanto Trainers. New captures will be sent here by definition, and numbers guarantee that there will be a steady influx every day. It is our duty to make sure that these are treated with care.

The system logs all data, but only in great emergencies, and after consultation with the Laboratory leadership, are you allowed to see most. That which is visible in the system without special permission, being Pokémon, gender, trainer ID, date of capture, and physical status, is enough for you to do your job. If the new capture is injured beyond standard parameters, bring it to the attention of the medical team as soon as possible.

It goes without saying that this data is sensitive information, and should not be shared with anyone that does not have sufficient clearance.